The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-02-05


ayers of the policy" are going to at
tempt to get Judge Atkins to convict Mr..
Royal to jail for contempt OF his court In
suing his grand jury. We are in
formed that as soon as Mr.. Royal
learned that this movement could be
made he at once instituted another suit
against the same grand jury for $4,000
damages In the United States court for
Mr.. James y. Cooper Tor indicting him.
From all we know of Judge Atkins we
have come to entertain for him sincere
respect, and we believe him to be a man
of sense and integrity, with all the cour-
age necessary to make him do whatever
he believes to be right. We cheerfully
pay him this tribute, because when he
went upon the bench we were not free
from prejudice against him, and his en-
tirely upright and manly behavior since
he has been there has compelled us to
look upon MIN as q man worthy Of his
place.
We do not believe that the managers OF
''the policy" will ever prevail upon Judge
Atkins to do any such absurd thing as is
proposed.
This is Government Of law, and every
man under its protection is subject to the
law. There is no man above the law, be
he judge, grand juror, commonwealth
attorney, or what not. Not only So but
the courts Of justice are open for every
man to assert his grievances in, and who
ever conceives himself aggrieyed by
another, whether he be judge or grand
juror, has a fixed and vested right
to arraign that other before the tri-
bunals of justice that he may be
compelled to do that which to justice and
equity may seem right There has just
been concluded in London an action for
libel brought by an obscure citizen against
the Lord Chief Justice of England, in
which that high functionary was com
PEELED to come into court to plead at the
bar and to bow his head TO the sentence
of the law. 1t would be pretty state of
affairs indeed if any man could say to
any citizen, however humble, Dare
assert your grievance in court, and
/ will confine you in Jail" The
celebrated civil rights act out of
which the fourteenth amendment
grew, proceeds upon the idea that every
white man has the fixed and inalienable !
right to resort to the courts to make his |
against whomever he believed |
to have injured him, and one of its main |
purposes was to invest the negroes with
that same fixed and inalienable right. /
It's first section reads thus:
All persons within the jurisdiction of
the United States shall have the same
right in every State and Territory to
make and enforce contracts, to sue, be
OartieS, gire ecjdeHce, and to the full and
equal benefit of all laws and proceedings
for the security of persons and property
as is enjoyed by white citizens"
In defining the privileges and immu-
mites of citizen of the United States in
which the 14th amendment protects him.
he Supreme Court of the United States
aid in the Slaughter House Cases, 16
" allace, 70, he has the right ito come to
he seat of Government to assert any
lain he may have upon that Government,
o transact any business he may have
With it, to seek its protection, to share its
'ffices, to engage in administering its
unctions. He has the right of free
ccess to its seaports, through which all
operations of foreign commerce are con-
ucted, to the sub-treasuries, land offices,
nd COURTS OF JUSTICE IN THE SEVERAL
YATES
How long do the managers of 1.-THE
olicy' suppose Judge Bond could allow
sutton in his court, who is also one Of
IS attorneys, to remain in Jail for simply
DING into his court to ask redress for
hat he conceiyes to be a grievance?
Do they not think that he would be
omewhat inclined to treat this effort to
lose the doors of his court to those who Z
Iaimed its protection as a contempt of
? We would advise them to consider =
of this view of the matter be- -
IRE they rush into their present scheme.
SPECIAL AND personal. ;